Shmakalaka
The Federated States of Shmakalaka or more commonly known as Shmakalaka is an island nation located in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The nation consists 8 major islands and numerous small islands. Shmakalaka is situated some 1,100 kilometers off the coast of Central America. Shmakalaka was discovery in 1558 by the Portugese explorer, Vaso De Payo, there were 2 tribes who are now extinct because of European viruses. Shmakalaka has a total population of 18,714,000 as of the 2014 census which makes it the country with the 62nd largest population. The total landmass of 216,371 square KM which is the 85th largest country in the world. The countries HDI is on the very high category with 0.813 ranked 48th in the world. The capital city of Shmakalaka and the largest city is Porto Azul. Shmakalaka is made up of 6 states, Porto Azul (state) the largest city is Porto Azul, Hamilton the largest city is Georgetown, Costa Dourado the largest city is Palmero, Soresta the largest city is Natale, Travira the largest city is Sibras and Ilha Grande the largest city is Formosa. Shmakalaka has been colonized and divided between the Portuguese and British Empires and has been the location of many tensions and disagreements between the British and Portuguese in the hope of gaining the Shmakalakan territory. The Prime Minister of Shmakalaka is Victor Caraces since 2010. Shmakalaka has been renowned for being a green country which attempts to use scarce fossil fuels and trees for all purposes. Which is why the urban population is an high 89%. furthermore the country's animal's population is on the rise unlike the rest of the world in which the animal population is on a steady decline. Shmakalaka is environmentally intriguing because animals such as the jaguar and mountain lion which are usually only native to mainland America's are native in Shmakalaka. Scientists say the ancestor lived here before Shmakalaka went off the continent around 12 million years ago. =Etymology= The word Shmakalaka came from a Brazilian tride called the Mollutus words Shmak meaning mysterious and Laka meaning land. Vaso De Payo had learnt some of the language and felt as though this would be an appropriate name for the island seeing as it was almost uninhabited and seemed untouched for millions of years. The British however, when they colonized their half called it Portland for 3 years and eventually decided to call it British Shmakalaka. When the country gained full independence in 1874 it was immediately called Shmakalaka. =History= Shmakalaka was discovered in 1557 by Portuguese explorer, Vaso De Payo. Vaso De Payo was funded by the Portuguese rulers to find new lands. They stopped at De Payo then found the islands of Shmakalaka. The Island was then colonized by the Portuguese. Bahia Sol in Costa Dourado was the first place for the Portuguese to settle in 1566 and the town was then called Palmero. The British landed in Shmakalaka in 1574 and colonized on Hamilton Island and set out the settlement of Georgetown. For over 14 years there was tension between the 2 countries who historically had been allies for many years. The turning point was in 1763 when a Dutch convoy attacked the town of Formosa on Ilha Grande and held the town for 44 days and threatened to take more land before the British and Portuguese combined forces through the leadership of Sir Dudley Hamilton and Robert Vires drove them away at the Battle of .... which took place over 3 days and resulted in over 120 Portuguese and British casualties and over 250 Dutch, This Partnership to drive away a common enemy away from their shores saw the 2 sides come together and draw clear boundaries by what was governed by the Portuguese and what was governed by the British, the British got the North East of Shmakalaka and Portuguese got the South a West, Although the Portuguese made their Capital in Palmero and the British made theirs in Georgetown Porto Azul was becoming of major Importance as it was seen as a point of coming together between the 2 countries. In 1768,the Portuguese Empire handed their half of Shmakalaka to the people and Shmakalaka was governed by Great Britain and the people of Shmakalaka. In 1821, the Treaty of United Territories was signed which made the states of Shmakalaka which then brought the country out of arguments between groups of people of which territory was theirs. The nation fought in both world wars for alongside the British Empire and it's colonies in World War II losing over 30,000. Shmakalaka fought mainly in Europe, but also assisted the Australia in the Pacific. Shmakalaka were a key in a battle in October 1944 in France where they fought the Germans out of the town of Dreux. Shmakalaka was involved in the Korean war fighting alongside the UN forces where 469 lost their lives and later fought in Vietnam where just under 3000 lost their lives, the Gulf War and also fought with NATO during the Yugoslav war. =Geography= Shmakalaka is located in the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Central America. It is on the continent of North America. The mid point of the nation is 19 degrees latitude and 110 degrees latitude. The largest island is Ilha Grande which is also home to The highest peak called Mt Navid Which is 3,649 meters high, named after the first man to climb it in 1877, Roberto Navid, it is part of the Relandors. The Cooper Jeffery's Coral Reef is the 5th largest coral reef in the world at 480 kilometers in length. Shmakalaka varies between Mediterrean or Southern African forests to tropical rainforest. The Islands are a good environment for olive and grape producrion which makes Shmakalakan beer and wine popular throughout the world. Climate The Shmakalakan people enjoy a warm tropical mediterean climate. Shmakalaka is a humid country which can often have cyclones and endures high rainfall from time to time. The country's record temperature was 47 degrees Celsius in 2003 in Costa Dourado not far from the city of Santades. The record low was -3 degrees Celsius in Navid on the low slopes of the countries highest point Mt Navid in 2001. The average temperature in Shmakalaka is 26 degrees Celsius with an average of 77% humidity. The hottest state on average is Travira and the coldest state on average is Hamilton. Environment Shmakalaka's environment is popular for zoologists to research for its natural beauty and its exquisite wildlife. What experts find intriguing is that animals such as the puma, jaguar, tapir and spectacled bear are native to the nation even though it isn't on mainland Americas. The reason is apparently because Shmakalaka only moved off Central America about 12 million years ago and the animals ancestors moved with it. Not only do they have animals native to other places, Shmakalaka have wildlife only native to Shmakalaka such as the cat called the penstos. Other wildlife include 4 species of monkey, 2 species of deer, the endangered Koab and many more animals. The animals live throughout the nation although the jaguar, penstos and mountain lion were extinct on Hamilton Island until they were brought back in 1997 and are now thriving. 8 jaguars were brought in and there are now approximately 102 jaguars, 17 are cubs. The plant life is similar to that of Central America or South America and the mediterean but also have some native plant life which is captivating. The Cooper Jefferey's Coral Reef and the surrounding waters of Shmakalaka are home to thousands of species of sea life including 37 species of sharks, 3 types of sea turtle and 8 species of dolphin including the Shmakalakan river dolphin which is only native to the Rio Tordeo, which is the longest river in Shmakalaka located in the state of Travira. The Shmakalakan national animal is the Jaguar. =Politics= The current party in charge of the country is the Shmakalakan People's Party, which is lead by the Prime Minister, Victor Caraces. Caraces has been regarded as Shmakalaka's best Prime Minister since Daniel Valente back in the 1960's who was famous for leading Shmakalaka out of civil unrest when a man named Donovan Haynes murdered 5 people and him being found not guilty caused riots and violent acts across the country. The government is planning to ban smoking in all of Shmakalaka and is famous for spending around 300 million US dollars to remove all the rubbish in Shmakalakan waters which may have saved up to 15,000 sea animals. In the 2010 elections, 39% voted for Shmakalakan People's Part (SPP), 31% voted for Pacific Congress and 21% voted for the DC with the remaining 9% voting for other parties. Foreign relations Shmakalaka has a strong alliance with countries of the Americas including Mexico, USA, Brazil and Canada due to their Historical ties with Portugal and Great Britain whom are both in the European Union they also have good relationships with countries in Europe such as Germany and France. Going back to the Americas in the 1950's Colombia and Shmakalaka developed a very good relation due to both nations taking part in the Korean War ( Colombia and Shmakalaka were the only South and Central American Countries to participate in the war). The Colombians and Shmakalaka's fought side by side most famously in the Battle of Old Baldy. Ties with Australia and New Zealand strengthened significantly during the course of the Vietnam War and relations with South Korea and Thailand began after fighting side by side in the late 1960's and early 1970's in Vietnam, Shmakalaka's relationship with the U.S.A deteriated close to the end of the Vietnam War after the Battle of Hamburger hill was fought, 97 Shmakalakans were killed trying to take a strategically insignificant hill which was overrun with NVA forces. Furthermore they are known to unusually be very close allies with Algeria and fought in the country in World War 2 against the Axis powers. Shmakalaka fought in World War II mainly in Europe with their Parent Country Great Britain but also being located in the Pacific Ocean, helped the USA with their campaign in the Pacific against Japan. Shmakalaka are famous for their contribution to the Invasion of Italy. Most famously, Timothy Fulton who lost his life saving dozens of men. Military The Shmakalakan army has 16,513 members and 10,000 reserve members. There are currently 1,245 deployed soldiers with 738 in Syria and 277 in Yemen. The air force is small and has a total of 78 aircrafts with 2,474 members. The navy is only deployed in the Shmakalakan waters with 29 ships and 4,770 members the USA is a keen ally with Shmakalaka and has shown this in the past by donating Light and Heavy armor, Aircraft and Naval vessels to the Shmakalakan army. Shmakalaka also has a unit named the SFS or Shmakalakan Special Forces ( Shmakalaka Forces Speciale) or Shmakalakan Special Ops who consist of about 600 men divided into 6 units named after the states of Shmakalaka who are trained by US and UK soldiers and represent USA under the Shmakalakan flag they are currently serving in Syria and Yemen. States There are 6 states in Shmakalaka, Travira, Soresta, Porto Azul, Costa Dourado, Hamilton and Ilha Grande. Hamilton and Soresta were former British territories and Travira and Costa Dourado were Portuguese territories and Porto Azul was claimed by neither side and Ilha Grande was shared. Porto Azul is the most populous state with nearly 5 million people. Ilha Grande is the largest state and largest island at 86,782 square Kilometers. The States of Shmakalaka were made in 1821 when groups of people claimed land areas as theirs and the treaty of United Territories was signed in 1821 when the people of Shmakalaka agreed to making areas of the country states. =Economy= Shmakalaka has an economy which is much on the rise. Shmakalaka is soon becoming a somewhat wealthy and economically stable country. Since the late 1990's, Shmakalaka has been on the rise economically after being a reasonably poor country beforehand. Porto Azul is becoming a centre of commerce not just for Shmakalakan, but also for people of other countries. Shmakalaka's main exports include beer, wine, tropical fruit and especially tourism. Tourism Tourism is Shmakalaka's main export and is the most important part of Shmakalaka's economy. Shmakalaka got more than 13 million visitors entering the country in 2014. This made the country the 19th most visited country. Of that, 44% or more than 6 million were from the United States. Many of the tourists into Shmakalaka are people going to or leaving the United States because it is in the Pacific Ocean and on the way to America from countries in Asia and other countries like Australia. The Porto Azul International Airport is the busiest airport in Shmakalaka and the 2nd busiest in Central America after the airport in Mexico City. The 5 main tourist destinations in Shmakalaka are Porto Azul, Palmero, Georgetown, White Sands and Sibras. White Sands and Sibras are popular because of their festivals and party culture, whilst Georgetown is for shopping and history and Palmero offers a look at the Shmakalakans life and sporting culture and Porto Azul has mixture of it all. Transportation Shmakalaka has been renowned for having a quality public transport system which works effectively throughout the country. Shmakalaka has 37 airports and 5 cities with major International Airports, Porto Azul, Sibras, Palmero, Georgetown, White Sands, with Natale, Agidal and Miccoli offereing flights to North and South America. The most common transport is by car but things like buses and trains are becoming very popular in recent years. The metro in Porto Azul gets 106 million users annually. The public services have improved especially in the state of Ilha Grande which had a rather inexistent public transport before 2008. Currency The currency of Shmakalaka is called the Menso. It is approximately worth 2.5 Mensos to every one USA dollar. The Shmakalaka Menso has become stronger in the past 10 years, in 2005, 1 US dollar was equivilant to 3.2 Menosos. Exports and International Trade Shmakalaka exports a large amount of things. Their main exports are coffee, beer, wine, tropical fruit, fish and poultry and their largest export is tourism. Oil companies wanted to use an area of the sea near the state of Soresta to pump a large supply of oil out but the Shmakalakan Prime Minister Victor Caceras refused to allow the people to use the abundant oil. Shmakalaka earn about 62 billion dollars annually. Porto Azul Porto is the largest port in Shmakalaka and gets roughly 66% of the imports and exports 71% of the goods. The other major ports are Georgetown Port, King Leonard Port of Palmero and Port London. Shmakalakas GDP Per capita is $20,653 USD. =Society= Shmakalaka has a total population of 18,714,000 people as of the 2014 census. Of that, 49.93% of the population are female and 50.07% are male. The average life expectancy in Shmakalaka is 79 years old. The female average is 81 years old and the male average is 77. Shmakalaka has a very high urban population with over 89% of the citizens of Shmakalaka living in urban centers. Demographics Shmakalaka has a total population of 18,714,000 as of the 2014 census. The country has a density of 92 people per square kilometer. A total of 16,521,000 people live in the urban area which means 88% of the Shmakalakan people live in urban areas. Around 28% of the population are under 15 and 7.5% of people are over 65 or over. The remaining 64.5% are between 15-65 years old. The people of Shmakalaka are referred to as Shmakalakans and the informal word for the Shmakalakan people is Shmaks. Language Shmakalaka has two national languages, British and Portuguese. 40% of citizens in Shmakalaka are of British decent and 43% are of Portuguese decent meaning that those are the first languages they speak. The rest of the population is made up of all countries of the world so therefore speak a variety of different languages in particular Spainish. Ethnic groups Shmakalaka is a culturally diverse country, but is predominantly British and Portuguese. The nation is roughly made up of 38% of British descent and 43% of Portuguese descent and the remaining 19% consists of South American (10%), Central American and North America (6%), and the remaining 3% is listed as other which is predominantly Asian. Of the South American population roughly 30% or 561,000 people come from Colombia. Largest cities Religion Shmakalaka is a strongly Christian dominant country, with 84% of Shmakalakan citizens being Christian. The other 16% is non-religious 9% and remaining 7% is marked as other religions. As the nation was colonized by the Portuguese and the British and the two nations main religions were Christianity, that means that the nation was always going to be firmly Christian. 84% of the Christians are Catholic and the remainder consists of Protestant and Orthodox church's. Education In Shmakalaka, education is top priority and since 1999, every child can go to Primary and Secondary school for free, there are 6 Universities in Shmakalaka, 1 in each state, Teritary Education in Shmakalaka like in most other countries is costly, although some programs or courses are free such as construction courses. Shmakalaka's unemployment rate is 5.8% compared to 12.3% in 1989. The large decrease is another example of why the government and education system have been regarded as the best in Shmakalaka's history. Children start at 5 years old and finish when they are 17. =Culture= Shmakalaka has a very exciting culture for visitors. The cities of White Sands and Sibras are renowned for being the cities with the most parties and festivals. Agidal plays host to the annual major Shmakalakan Wars remembrance day service to the men and women who lost their lives in the wars especially WW2. Porto Azul hosts the Shmakalakan national day parade with many floats and other things, although other cities have their own celebrations. Shmakalaka has gotten much of it culture such as belief's, sports and hobbies from the British and Portuguese. It is fair to say that Shmakalaka was molded by the two empires Traditions Food Shmakalakan food is a mixture mainly of English and Portuguese dishes. Popular ingredients in typical Shmakalakan dishes include tropical fruits, Vegetables, rice and meats such as pork, beef, chicken and fish. The pontella is a popular dessert in Shmakalaka which is a pastry with fruit and cream on the inside which is made by many Shmakalakan's on holidays like Christmas. Also, the Papa Frango fast food chain was founded in Shmakalaka and has 315 resturaunts in Shmakalaka and restaurants in 24 other countries in the world. Arts and Liturature Sport The national and most popular sport is football. The other popular sports are cricket, water sports and rugby. The countries passion for these sports come from learning from the British and Portuguese. In particular, the cricket team was brought into the test format in 2001 after an impressive 1999 world cup when they beat Pakistan,West Indies and Scotland to narrowly miss out on a super 6 spot but won the hearts of the cricketing world. The football side has been in 7 of the 20 FIFA World Cups that have taken place. Their best finish was making to round of 16 in 1998 in which they lost 2-1 to Italy. But the nation has high hopes to the future in football with a young team becoming one of the teams to look out for in the future. There is 2 professional football leagues in Shmakalaka. The top league is the Liga Premiera and the league under it is the Liga Campeonato The rugby team made the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and were in Pool B they won 23-19 against Japan in Gosford and that was the most historic win in the sides young history, they also narrowly lost 31-26 to Fiji.